2003 vs 2005
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+6.9%
Median Home
+23.1%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2003 Price | 2005 Price | Change | Hours 2003 | Hours 2005 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.24 | $1.22 | -2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.00 | $1.04 | +4% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.76 | $3.19 | +15% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.59 | $2.30 | +44% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.95 | $2.30 | +18% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.03 | $1.06 | +2% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.20 | $3.39 | +6% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.92 | $3.26 | +12% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.81 | $3.74 | -2% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.39 | $7.77 | +22% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.10 | +8% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $4,587 | $5,351 | +17% | 220.2h | 240.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,282 | $25,164 | +8% | 1117.9h | 1129.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $647 | $685 | +6% | 31.1h | 30.7h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $47.43 | $68.19 | +44% | 2.3h | 3.1h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.03 | $6.42 | +7% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2003 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.3h → 3.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
220.2h → 240.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1117.9h → 1129.7h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2003 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
31.1h → 30.7h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2003 ($43,320), you'd need $45,973 in 2005 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (184.0 → 195.3).